Vertical Transmission of Mycoplasma Haemolamae in Alpacas (Vicugna Pacos)
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Vertical transmission of Mycoplasma haemolamae in alpacas (Vicugna pacos) THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Rebecca Lynne Pentecost, D.V.M, B.S. Graduate Program in Comparative and Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University 2012 Thesis Committee: Jeffrey Lakritz, Advisor Antoinette E. Marsh Andrew J. Niehaus Joshua Daniels Paivi Rajala-Schultz Copyright by Rebecca Lynne Pentecost 2012 Abstract Mycoplasma haemolamae is a parasite with tropism for the red blood cells of alpacas, llamas, and guanacos. Transmission of the parasite likely occurs via an insect vector although the vector has not been elucidated to date. Transmission via blood transfusion has been demonstrated experimentally. In utero infection has been suggested and later demonstrated in a limited number of cases (n≤5). The purpose of this study was to 1) determine the frequency of vertical transmission of Mycoplasma haemolamae from dam to cria; 2) determine whether colostral transmission of M. haemolamae occurs; and 3) provide preliminary data on colostral M. haemolamae specific antibody from pregnant alpacas on a farm with known prevalence of infection. Mycoplasma haemolamae specific PCR was performed on blood and colostrum from pregnant alpacas and their cria (n=52 pairs). Indirect fluorescent antibody testing was performed on a subset (n=43) of these colostrum samples. Total immunoglobulin concentrations of colostrum and cria sera and M. haemolamae specific IgG (prior to and after ingesting colostrum) were determined by turbidometric immunoassay and indirect fluorescence antibody testing, respectively. Sixteen of 52 dams (30.7%) pre-partum and one of 52 cria post-partum (1.9%; prior to ingestion of colostrum) were PCR positive for M. haemolamae, while 36/52 dams (69%) and 51/52 cria (98%) tested negative for M. haemolamae by PCR. All 43 colostrum samples and 52 of 52 post colostrum cria blood samples (100%) were negative by PCR. The dam giving birth to the M. haemolamae PCR positive cria was PCR negative. Statistically, it was no more likely for a PCR ii positive dam to give birth to a M. haemolamae, PCR positive cria (prior to colostrum ingestion) than a PCR negative dam (p=0.3077). M. haemolamae specific IgG was detectable in 22 of 43 (51%) of colostrum samples at a 1:10 dilution and 14 of the 22 positive 1:10 dilution samples (32.6% of the total samples) at a 1:100 dilution. There was no relationship between the PCR status of the dam and whether or not M. haemolamae specific antibodies were present in colostrum. Among the animals tested, in utero transmission of M. haemolamae was rare (1/52 pre-colostral alpaca cria), and all colostrum samples were negative for M. haemolamae by PCR. These data indicate that colostrum from positive dams is unlikely to harbor this parasite and therefore does not serve as a source of infection to newborn cria. Colostrum derived from both PCR positive and negative dams contained M. haemolamae specific antibodies. Our findings suggest that M. haemolamae specific antibodies may play a role in immunity to this hemoparasite; however, challenge studies are necessary to fully evaluate the role of M. haemolamae specific antibodies. Furthermore, antibody prevalence and detectable titers may provide different estimates than those available from current PCR based prevalence studies. Our findings also confirm that M. haemolamae isolates from geographically distinct regions do not differ significantly from each other. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Lakritz for his guidance with this project as well as with my other clinical and academic endeavors. I thank Dr. Marsh for her patience, encouragement, and guidance in the laboratory, and more specifically for her numerous hours of explanation and troubleshooting during the early days of the project. I also wish to thank Dr. Daniels and Dr. Rajala-Schultz for their assistance and expertise with this project. I would like to thank Dr. Niehaus for his patience, encouragement, and friendship throughout this project and my residency program. I also wish to thank Dr. Rings and the other house officers and staff of the Food Animal Medicine and Surgery section for their support throughout my residency. In addition, I would like to thank Drs. Jane E. Sykes, Ziv Raviv, and Amy Wetzel for providing DNA samples used in this study. As always, I thank my family for their ongoing love and support throughout my academic career and with the other trials and triumphs of life. iv Vita June 2001…………………………………………………………..Chillicothe High School, Chillicothe, OH 2004…………………………………………………………………..B.S., The Ohio State University 2008…………………………………………………………………..D.V.M., The Ohio State University 2008-2009………………………………………………………….Intern, Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery, The Ohio State University 2009-2012………………………………………………………….Resident, Farm Animal Surgery, The Ohio State University Publications Pentecost RL, Marsh AE, Niehaus AJ, Daleccio J, Daniels, JB, Rajala-Schultz PJ, Lakrtiz, J. Vertical transmission of Mycoplasma haemolamae in alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Small Ruminant Research. Published online March 2012. Pentecost RL, Niehaus AJ, Santschi EM. Arthroscopic approach and intraarticular anatomy of the stifle in South American camelids. Veterinary Surgery. Published online March 2012. Lin TY, Hamberg A, Pentecost R, Wellman M, Stromberg P. Mast cell tumors in a llama (Lama glama. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 2010 Sep; 22(5): 808-11. Fields of Study Major Field: Comparative and Veterinary Medicine v Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………ii Acknowledgments……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iv Vita……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..v List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…....vii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………viii Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter 2: Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 Chapter 3: Vertical Transmission of Mycoplasma haemolamae in alpacas (Vicugna pacos)….…..17 References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38 Appendix A: Tables……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………44 Appendix B: Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..48 vi List of Tables Table 1. Primer sets, amplicon sizes and sequences used in the study……………………………………..44 Table 2. Number of Mycoplasma haemolamae PCR positive and PCR negative dams, PCR positive and negative crias immediately after birth, PCR positive and negative colostrum samples and post-colostral testing of crias……………………………………………………………………………………………..45 Table 3. Number and percentage of Mycoplasma haemolamae PCR positive and negative dams by age, colostral IgG concentrations by age and colostral M. haemolamae specific IgG by IFAT (at 1:10 and 1:100 dilutions)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..46 Table 4. Colostral antibody presence and absence in Mycoplasma haemolamae PCR positive and negative dams included in this study………………………………………………………………………………….47 vii List of Figures Figure 1. Ethidium bromide-stained agarose gel showing M. haemolamae specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of approximately 415 base pairs, as sized by molecular size markers…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….48 Figure 2. Representative images of IFA slide wells showing the absence (left) and presence (right) of antibodies to M. haemolamae in colostrum from subjects included in this study………49 viii Chapter 1: Introduction Mycoplasma haemolamae, a member of the hemoplasmas within the family Mycoplasmataceae, has the potential to impact the camelid industry by creating chronically infected individuals that show no signs of disease, or animals with chronic, insidious disease with signs of disease including weight loss and inappetance.1 Finally, overt clinical signs of disease are generally observed in juvenile or geriatric, stressed or immunocompromised individuals and can include collapse or recumbency associated with anemia and occasionally hypoglycemia.1-4 The widespread geographical distribution of the organism makes this blood parasite of interest for clinicians and researchers worldwide. Prevalence rates determined using PCR based assays vary between study and geographic regions with a range of 9.3-19.3% for camelids in South America, and a prevalence of 18.6% of the overall population with nearly 40% of tested herds having at least one positive animal in Switzerland.5,6 Diagnosis was originally dependent on cytologic evaluation of blood smears, but more recent advances have produced molecular (PCR) based testing for Mycoplasma haemolamae. These PCR assays reportedly enable accurate identification of infected individuals regardless of the presence of clinical signs.2,5,7 PCR tests have also been used to evaluate the efficacy of treatment and to confirm the presence of the parasite in cases where immunosuppression or immunodeficiency, either as a primary process or secondary to concurrent disease, complicated diagnosis and treatment of the affected individual.2,5,7 Additionally, evaluating potential 1 genomic variations within the hyper-variable region of organisms from geographically distinct regions allows for improved understanding of the organism’s potential for virulence as well as for improved PCR based diagnostics. The emergence of clinical reports detailing potential spread from infected dams to naïve